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SOC 177:The Sociology of Popular Culture

Why do some songs become popular, but not others? Why are music genres that were wildly popular in the 1950s no longer popular today? Trends and fads and can be found nearly everywhere in our daily lives movie tropes, skirt lengths, styles of shoes, internet memes, hot stock-picks all of these go in and out of fashion. But, why should they? Did something change? And if so¿what? This course seeks to understand how and why things become (un)popular. The course begins with early 20th century theories on the massification and commodification of culture and traces development of this literature over time. Topics covered include propaganda, social influence, and significant responses to questions such as: What constitutes high/low culture? Does popular culture manifest--"from the bottom-up", for the people by the people--or is popular culture dictated--"from the top down", by elites and commercial interests? To what extent do social networks (and the status and power of the people within the
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Why do some songs become popular, but not others? Why are music genres that were wildly popular in the 1950s no longer popular today? Trends and fads and can be found nearly everywhere in our daily lives movie tropes, skirt lengths, styles of shoes, internet memes, hot stock-picks all of these go in and out of fashion. But, why should they? Did something change? And if so¿what? This course seeks to understand how and why things become (un)popular. The course begins with early 20th century theories on the massification and commodification of culture and traces development of this literature over time. Topics covered include propaganda, social influence, and significant responses to questions such as: What constitutes high/low culture? Does popular culture manifest--"from the bottom-up", for the people by the people--or is popular culture dictated--"from the top down", by elites and commercial interests? To what extent do social networks (and the status and power of the people within them) influence these relationships? How is popular culture received, interpreted, and used? Today, the media landscape looks significantly different than it did in the early 20th century, and in the final portion of the course we will consider the extent to which new technologies, media platforms, hyper-focused advertising, and cluster-based similarity algorithms have impacted the way we think about and answer these questions. In the final portion of the course, we will critically examine active and ongoing debates in the literature related to this question and produce a final paper that contributes to the discussion. No final exam.

TRIGGER WARNING: Over the past three years, the issue of campus sexual assault has exploded into the public discourse. While definitive figures are difficult to obtain due to the necessarily private nature of these events, several recent studies estimate that between 20-25% of college women (and a potentially higher proportion of students identifying as transgender and gender-nonconforming, as well as around 5-10% of male students) experience sexual assault. People of color, LGBT students, disabled individuals and other vulnerable groups are at increased risk. This is also a significant problem in k12 education. Survivors have come forward across the country with harrowing stories of assault followed by what they describe as an insensitive or indifferent response from college administrators. These survivors have launched one of the most successful, and surprising, social movements in recent memory. As a result, the federal government under President Obama stepped up its civil rights en
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TRIGGER WARNING: Over the past three years, the issue of campus sexual assault has exploded into the public discourse. While definitive figures are difficult to obtain due to the necessarily private nature of these events, several recent studies estimate that between 20-25% of college women (and a potentially higher proportion of students identifying as transgender and gender-nonconforming, as well as around 5-10% of male students) experience sexual assault. People of color, LGBT students, disabled individuals and other vulnerable groups are at increased risk. This is also a significant problem in k12 education. Survivors have come forward across the country with harrowing stories of assault followed by what they describe as an insensitive or indifferent response from college administrators. These survivors have launched one of the most successful, and surprising, social movements in recent memory. As a result, the federal government under President Obama stepped up its civil rights enforcement in this area, with over 300 colleges and universities under investigation for allegedly mishandling student sexual assault complaints as of July 2017. At the same time, this heightened response has led to a series of high-profile lawsuits by accused students who assert that they were falsely accused or subjected to mishandled investigations that lacked sufficient due process protections. The one thing that survivors and accused students appear to agree on is that colleges are not handling these matters appropriately. Colleges have meanwhile complained of being whipsawed between survivors, accused students, interest groups, and enforcement authorities. The election of President Trump has now created significant uncertainty about how this issue will be handled by the Department of Education going forward. The Trump Administration took the extraordinary step this September of rolling back all of the Obama Administration guidance on this subject. Meanwhile Congress has been unable to pass legislation addressing the issue, though there are several bipartisan bills under consideration. This course focuses on the legal, policy, and political issues surrounding sexual assault on college campuses. We will learn background about sexual violence and the efforts to implement legal protections for survivors in the educational context. We will also study the basic legal frameworks governing campus assault, focusing on the relevant federal laws such as Title IX and the Clery Act. We will hear from guest speakers who are actively involved in shaping policy and advocating in this area, including lawyers, lobbyists, filmmakers, journalists, and policymakers. The subject matter of this course is sensitive and students are expected to treat the material with sensitivity. Much of the reading and subject matter may be upsetting and/or triggering for students who identify as survivors. There is no therapeutic component for this course, although supportive campus resources and Title IX staff are available for those who need them. This course was previously a Sophomore College Class that is now being offered as a regular quarter-length course. Elements used in grading: Grades will be based on class attendance, class participation, and either several short reflection papers (section 01) or an independent research paper (section 02). After the term begins, students accepted into the course can transfer from section 01 into section 02, which meets the R requirement, with consent of the instructor. Enrollment is by INSTRUCTOR PERMISSION. Access the consent form here
feminist.stanford.edu/academics/undergraduate-program/forms or email rmeisels@stanford.edu to request a form via email. Cross-listed with the Law School (
LAW 7065).

SOC 189:Race and Immigration (CSRE 189, SOC 289)

In the contemporary United States, supposedly race-neutral immigration laws have racially-unequal consequences. Immigrants from Mexico, Central America, and the Middle East are central to ongoing debates about who's includable, and who's excludable, from American society. These present-day dynamics mirror the historical forms of exclusion imposed on immigrants from places as diverse as China, Eastern Europe, Ireland, Italy, Japan, and much of Africa. These groups' varied experiences of exclusion underscore the long-time encoding of race into U.S. immigration policy and practice. Readings and discussions center on how immigration law has become racialized in its construction and in its enforcement¿over the last 150 years.nn*Undergraduates are encouraged to enroll in the course for three units. Graduate students are encouraged to enroll in the course for four units. Those enrolling in the course for four units will be expected to complete additional reading and writing assignments that are aligned with their status as either undergraduate or graduate students.

SOMGEN 130:Sexual Diversity and Function Across Medical Disciplines

Focus is on the development of personal and professional skills to address medical and health issues related to human sexuality across a broad and diverse range of ages, gender, sexual orientation, sexual practices, and sexual function. Guest lectures will cover sexual issues from multiple medical disciplines and health perspectives of children (pediatric), adolescents, and young, middle-aged and older (geriatric) adults (geriatric). Consideration of sociocultural (predominantly U.S) norms is explored, including religious values and taboos, and sexual practices ranging from ¿stereotypically normal¿ to asexuality, celibacy, polyamory, and kink, etc. Emphasis is given to medical issues, e.g. the impact of specific medications, hormonal therapies, medical procedures, disabilities such as spinal cord injury, and treatments on sexual function and other issues that one might encounter in a general or specialty medical setting. Each week will include an 80-minute (Tuesday) class with a pair o
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Focus is on the development of personal and professional skills to address medical and health issues related to human sexuality across a broad and diverse range of ages, gender, sexual orientation, sexual practices, and sexual function. Guest lectures will cover sexual issues from multiple medical disciplines and health perspectives of children (pediatric), adolescents, and young, middle-aged and older (geriatric) adults (geriatric). Consideration of sociocultural (predominantly U.S) norms is explored, including religious values and taboos, and sexual practices ranging from ¿stereotypically normal¿ to asexuality, celibacy, polyamory, and kink, etc. Emphasis is given to medical issues, e.g. the impact of specific medications, hormonal therapies, medical procedures, disabilities such as spinal cord injury, and treatments on sexual function and other issues that one might encounter in a general or specialty medical setting. Each week will include an 80-minute (Tuesday) class with a pair of related lectures, lecture, or video followed by class discussion, or student presentations, and a 50-minute ¿Queer Medicine¿ (Thursday) class organized by a Stanford Medical student, with overall direction by Marcia Stefanick, Professor of Medicine (SCRP, Ob/Gyn) Director of the Stanford Women¿s Health and Sex Differences in Medicine (WSDM, ¿wisdom¿) Center.

SOMGEN 150Q:Challenging Sex and Gender Dichotomies in Biology and Medicine

This course explores and challenges the physiological basis for distinguishing human "males" and "females", expands the concepts of "intersex" beyond reproductive anatomy/physiology (i.e. beyond the genitalia), and discusses some known consequences of "gender biases" in medical diagnoses and treatments. The influence of gender (sociocultural) "norms", i.e. gendered behaviors and relations, on human biology is juxtaposed with the role of biological traits on the construction of gender identity, roles and relationships, thereby focusing on the interactions of sex and gender on health and medical outcomes. Problems that may arise by labeling conditions that vary in incidence, prevalence and/or severity across the "male-female" spectrum as "men's" or "women's" health issues will be discussed. In addition, the importance of recognizing the spectrum of sex and gender, as well as sexual orientation, in clinical practice from pediatric to geriatric populations, will be highlighted, with consideration of varying perspectives within different race/ethnic, religious, political, and other groups.

SPANLANG 11SL:Second-Year Spanish: Emphasis on Service Learning, First Quarter

Continuation of
SPANLANG 3 or
SPANLANG 2A. Identity and community. Sequence integrating community engaged learning, culture and language with emphasis on developing advanced proficiency in oral and written discourse. Targeted functional abilities include presentational and socioculturally appropriate language in formal and informal, community and academic contexts. SL content focuses on artistic projects with Spanish-speaking youth organizations in the local community. Requires one evening off campus per week in addition to four hours of regular class time. Projects may vary from quarter to quarter (e.g., mural art, print-making, digital storytelling, etc.) but focus on themes surrounding community and youth identity. Cardinal Course (certified by Haas Center). Prerequisite: Placement Test,
SPANLANG 3 or
SPANLANG 2A.

SPANLANG 12SL:Spanlang 12SL Second-Year: Empahasis on Service Learning, second qtr

Continuation of SPANLANG 11. Identity and community. Sequence integrating community engagd learning, culture and language with emphasis on developing advanced proficiency in oral and written discourse. Targeted functional abilities include presentational and socioculturally appropriate language in formal and informal, community and academic contexts. SL content focuses on artistic projects with Spanish-speaking youth organizations in the local community. May require additional hours off campus immediately before and after class, in addition to regular class time. Projects may vary from quarter to quarter (e.g., mural art, environmental projects, poetry, etc.) but focus on themes surrounding community and youth identity. Cardinal Course (certified by Haas Center). Prerequisite: Placement Test,
SPANLANG 11C, 11R, or 11SL.

SPANLANG 13SL:Second-Year Spanish: Emphasis on Service Learning, Third Quarter

Continuation of SPANLANG 12. Immigration & Citizenship. Sequence integrating community engaged learning, culture and language with emphasis on developing advanced proficiency in oral and written discourse. Targeted functional abilities include presentational and socioculturally appropriate language in formal and informal, community and professional contexts. SL content focuses on immersion in civics-based service learning in the Spanish-speaking local community. Requires one evening off campus per week in addition to three hours of regular class time. Service Learning Course (certified by Haas Center). Prerequisite: Placement Test,
SPANLANG 12C, 12R, 12SL,12M or 12S. Fulfills the IR major

STS 200A:Food and Society: Politics, Culture and Technology

This course will examine how politics, culture, and technology intersect in our food practices. Through a survey of academic, journalistic, and artistic works on food and eating, the course will explore a set of key analytical frameworks and conceptual tools in STS, such as the politics of technology, classification and identity, and nature/culture boundaries. The topics covered include: the industrialization of agriculture; technology and the modes of eating (e.g., the rise of restaurants); food taboos; globalization and local foodways; food and environmentalism; and new technologies in production (e.g., genetically modified food). Through food as a window, the course intends to achieve two broad intellectual goals. First, students will explore various theoretical and methodological approaches in STS. In particular, they will pay particular attention to the ways in which politics, culture, and technology intersect in food practices. Second, student will develop a set of basic skills and tools for their own critical thinking and empirical research, and design and conduct independent research on a topic related to food. First class attendance mandatory. STS majors must have Senior status to enroll in this Senior Capstone course.